


Leaky Faucets

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author Castiel, Charlie Ships It, Fluff, Handyman Dean, M/M, Neighbors sort of?, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-10
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-02-24 20:05:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2594753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Struggling author, Castiel Novak, has just moved into a new apartment - smaller and cheaper than the one he was in before, as well as family-owned. When his sink starts making a weird noise, he calls down at the front desk; instead of getting the giant man that tends to checking people in, he gets someone different. After that, a lot of stuff starts to break in Castiel's apartment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaky Faucets

"For someone that hasn't made much more than minimum wage this year, Cassie, you've got a _shit load_ of stuff," Gabriel comments.

He's carrying three boxes, far too many for someone of his short stature. Castiel fears for the life of his plates and glass cups in the boxes, but Balthazar manages to stop the top box from falling just in time; he seems to appear out of nowhere, helping his cousin move into the new apartment.

"He's right, Castiel - quite a lot of crap. Why do you even need all of these old journals?" Balthazar holds up one of the old leather books, waving it slightly.

"All of my ideas are in them. Put it back, and don't look in it."

"Oho, Cas?  _All_ of your ideas?" Gabriel wags his eyebrows, putting down his final box. He joins Balthazar's side, moving to open up the front cover. 

Castiel lunges from his place next to the bedroom door, ripping the tired-looking book from his brother's hands. _"Do not."_ His voice is rough and threatening, a controlling quality barely holding the syllables together.

Both of his family members hold up their hands, backing up slightly in a gesture of peace. "Hold on, baby bro. Not gonna go through your stuff again."

"Bite me, Gabriel."

"Sorry, Cassie. Not into that whole incest thing. Those two brothers downstairs, though, they were giving off some weird vibes. Right, Balthy?"

Balthazar shrugs, stepping over the maze of boxes and heading towards the front door. "Don't call me 'Balthy'. And the shorter one didn't look interested in his brother, he looked interested in  _Castiel."_

Gabriel chuckles, following his cousin to the door. "Yeah, you're right. The giant looked  _way_ more interested in me." 

"He had a wedding ring on," Balthazar's voice sounds tired as he speaks. "You always _were_ my least favorite cousin."

"Too bad! You have to drive me home. Anyways, Cassie - seriously. You ever need money help or that handyman down there does some fucked-up shit-" _  
_

"Gabriel, now would be a _fantastic_ time for you to leave. Goodbye, Balthazar." Castiel waves a hand at them, rubbing a hand over his face when he hears the door creak shut. 

Castiel spends five hours unpacking all of the boxes, first dealing with the bedroom. Sheets on, clothes on hangers, toiletries stored in the bathroom. Next, the tiny living room. He rearranges the couch and small chair he owns, putting his desk in the corner. All of his journals and books are stacked on his desk; Castiel promises himself he'll deal with them later, but he knows  _later_ will probably turn into  _never,_ so he ends up putting them all back in the boxes. The kitchen comes last, only two pieces of dishware showing signs of damage. 

He sits down on the couch with a  _thump,_ body feeling heavy and exhausted. The moving had taken the entire day, and he still had more to go: finding out how much washing clothes downstairs would cost, trying to see if he had any annoying neighbors, searching for the cheapest restaurants in the area, etc. 

He didn't want to do any of it.

A rather significant slump had struck Castiel and his writing - normally, he could crank out around 10,000 words per day. Now? He was lucky if he got 1,000. There was nothing to inspire him, no one in the world that he found interesting enough to write a character around or try and make a backstory for. The only money he was getting was from the occasional novella or newspaper article, and the lack of cash was making life difficult. 

Castiel decides to sleep on the couch instead of moving and getting into his bed, stretching out on the brown fabric of the sofa and finally feeling somewhat  _relaxed -_ when the sink starts whirring. How a  _sink_ could make such a noise is beyond him, and although it's an annoying sound, he puts his head back on the cushion and slumbers through the terrible noise, hoping that it's not loud enough for a neighbor to wake up and bother him about it. He also doesn't want to annoy the handyman that was apparently looking at him. Castiel didn't notice the other man, too distracted with trying to get his keys and set everything up with the behemoth of a brother that Mr. Handyman had. His name tag had read  _Sam,_ in nice, thin letters. Sam had seemed fairly kind. Castiel wonders for a moment of the brother is just as friendly. 

The noise continues through the night, and Castiel sleeps through it - alas, one of his hopes dies. A banging on his door at 3 AM rouses him, an incessant knocking that's more annoying than the actual sound. He rises slowly, mumbling a half-hearted "I'm coming" to the door. When he reaches it, he opens it to find a woman several years his junior standing there. Her red hair is in a mess of knots, tangling around her shoulders and looking similar to Castiel's, minus the length. Her purple pajamas sag, as if they're a bit too big - she's fairly small, but the moment Cas meets her eyes, he can see that her personality is definitely  _not_ small.

"Hi, I'm Charlie, would you like to hear about our lord and savior, my new neighbor that won't shut off his  _fucking sink_ at three in the morning?" She ends the harsh statement with a false smile, pink lips revealing perfect white teeth. 

"I apologize, Charlie. I moved in just-"

"Look, dude, I know that you're new. But you _have_ to get your sink to shut up or I'm going to punch something. Normally I'm not like this, but I have been awake all night and I would  _really_ appreciate if you did this for me. Please, neighbor?"

"It will not stop making the noise. I don't know why, but it appears to be broken-"

Charlie sighs, rubbing a hand over her face. "Dean. We'll just call Dean."

"Dean?"

"Yeah, he's Sam's brother. Y'know, guy at the front desk? Literal puppy? Well, both of them are, Dean's just a little rougher at first. Anyway, you can call him. He'll fix it."

Castiel tilts his head to the side, staring at Charlie with squinting eyes. "Where may I locate his phone number?"

"It's on my phone. I'll just run up and call for you - room... seven-two-three. All primes! Well, thanks for moving in and disrupting my sleep cycle, but I'm sure we'll get along better when it's actually day. Bye, neighbor!"

Charlie gives him a quick nod before walking back down the hall and over to the stairwell.  _Oh. Her apartment must be directly above mine._ Castiel thinks for a moment that he could write a character about her - just maybe. If he got to know her a little better, know a little about her past; he could  _definitely_ make someone based on the fiery Charlie, neighbor extraordinaire. 

Instead, he walks back in his new home and sits back on the couch, waiting for Dean the handyman to come and fix everything with the sink.  _How can it even make such a noise? It sounds like it's dying._ It feels as if he sits there for hours, but the clock on the wall clearly states that only seven minutes have passed - seven minutes of impossible boredom. His brain is so overworked and empty that Castiel counts the cracks in the ceiling instead of thinking. It's slightly calming. 

As he reaches twenty-eight cracks -  _Huh. My age. -_ the knocking on his door happens again, only this time, it's three short raps instead of the continuous banging Charlie had enjoyed. He walks over to the door again, opening it to  _Dean,_ the "rougher" brother and co-owner of Winchester Apartment Complex.  _  
_

Dean was also a lot more than that, appearance-wise, at least. He looked like he'd just hopped off a modeling runway, even though it was obvious that he'd just thrown on his t-shirt and jeans; his short, golden-brown hair was messy, clothes rumpled, and eyes slightly red. But still - he was _breathtaking._ Freckled skin, Cupid's bow lips, muscular arms, as tall or maybe an inch taller than Castiel himself, and eyes so green they barely looked real.

First Charlie as a potential character, and now  _this?_

"Hi, I'm Dean. Charlie told me your sink was fucking up?"  _Oh god his voice is beautiful too._ Castiel's mind had gone from zero to sixty pretty fast.

"Um - yes. It's kind of... dying? Or something is dying inside of it. I'm not sure."

Dean chuckles at that, stepping inside the apartment and eyeing all of the boxes. "Not finished unpacking? I could help, if you want."

Castiel doesn't know how to respond, simply looking at him for a moment and pondering the possibilities of Dean coming back. Most of those possibilities ended with far less clothing than they started with. 

"Oh, sorry man - overstepping boundaries. Don't even know your name," Dean laughs again, but the awkwardness in the room is palpable now. He swallows, turning his back on Cas and finding his way to the sink. "So, uh... what  _is_ your name?"

"Castiel. Castiel Novak. And yes, I am aware that it is an odd name." 

"It's not just odd, man. It's cool. Kind of a mouthful, though. Mind if I call you Cas?" Dean turns away from the investigating the sink momentarily, making eye contact with the other man across the room. Castiel is fairly sure that he imagines the slight flush on Dean's cheeks when he nods and smiles, agreeing with the nickname. 

"My brothers only ever called me 'Cassie'. It was a pain."

Dean smiles again before he takes something out of his toolbox, shimmying under the sink and exposing a stretch of skin.  _Sweet Lord, he has freckles on his stomach -_ Castiel forces himself to look away, aware that he shouldn't feel this attracted to someone he's known for about three minutes. Besides, he doesn't even know if Dean is gay, or bisexual, or whatever else he might be - Cas doesn't know. And it's killing him inside.

Dean's voice jolts him back to reality. "I always call Sam stuff - guess it's just an older brother kind of thing. You met him, right? When you checked in this morning."

"Yes, Sam was very kind. Quite tall, as well. I felt rather... small."

A scoffing noise comes from under the sink, and Castiel can feel his cheeks grow warm.  _"Small?_ Man, you're built and I can see it. I don't know what you do, but you're not small."

Castiel likes to work out before he writes, so he does have a rather athletic physique - strong shoulders and thighs, but not covered in bulky muscle like Dean seemed to be.

"You seem rather built yourself, Dean."

Another soft laugh from under the sink. "Thanks, man. Okay, I think I've got this all patched up. If it starts making death sounds again, you know who to call." Dean pulls himself out from under the sink, grinning at Castiel before putting away his tools and walking back to the front door.

"Later, Cas. Nice to meet the new neighbors." 

"Goodbye, Dean." 

Castiel shuts the door after him, pushing his back against it and sinking to the floor. 

_Fuck._

 

***

 

 The next morning, Charlie shows up with coffee and blueberry muffins. "Sorry for last night. I swear, I'm much more pleasant when I'm well-rested." 

Castiel accepts the peace offering, the two eating and conversing while sitting on the floor in his living room. Charlie was a fan of almost everything, she had a great job managing a bank's funds and security while also having  _more_ fun using some of the money to donate to shelters. She was dating a lovely girl named Dorothy and she had known Dean for a few years. 

"I also know, for a fact, that he likes you."

Cas nearly chokes on a blueberry.  _"What?"_

"He likes you. He talked about how dreamy you looked last night to me for about ten minutes. He doesn't usually go for guys, so you're pretty special." She takes another bite, downing the last bit of muffin with coffee.

"Why?"

"Why what? He likes you. Invite him over."

Castiel blanches. "No, I cannot-"

"What's the problem with it? You already know, so just go for it." Charlie shifts back on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Charlie, I am not very good with interacting with... people."

"You're fine with me, aren't you?"

Castiel sighs, rubbing a palm over his face. "I am inexperienced in the dating world. People tend to be scared off."

 _"What?_ But you're adorable!"

He gets up, taking the trash with him. Cas dumps everything in the trash bin, not hearing Charlie walk up behind him. "It is not-"

_SNAP!_

Castiel whips around, seeing something that makes his blood boil and chill at the same time. Charlie has ripped off one of the sink handles, and she grins triumphantly at her neighbor - and new friend - with a gleam in her eyes. 

"There you go. Now he  _has_ to come back, right?"

"Surely there's another handyman in this city."

"No one as good as Dean. Besides, you don't want to hurt his feelings, do you?"

Castiel grumbles, conceding and taking the silver piece. Charlie calls Dean, leaving the apartment before he comes back in. 

 

***

 

Charlie ends up breaking five different things in Castiel's apartment in the next few months - and he breaks two things himself. Each time, Dean visits, taking longer and longer to fix whatever it is that needs fixing, focusing more on talking to Castiel then the actual job at hand. It's wonderful, and Charlie demands to be thanked for her job in getting them together - except they aren't together.

Sure, Cas wishes they could be. He wants to kiss Dean more than anything in the world (well, among other things). But Dean's interest has only ever been evident in soft touches to his arm or laughing too hard at a joke that was barely funny. That wasn't much to go off of, in Castiel's book. So he waits, spending more time thinking about green eyes than he should.

It's a Thursday in May when Castiel hears a knock on his door - he hasn't called anyone in, so his best guess is that it must be Charlie, there to deliver some kind of baked treat or coffee, like usual. Instead of finding his red-haired friend at the door, there is a very exhilarated-looking Dean Winchester. 

"Dean?"

"Hey, Cas!" He's breathing heavily, eyes slightly wide and posture bent. "So, last time I came, I noticed some - uh - stuff! Wrong. There was something wrong with your, uh - faucets. Again. They were leaking, I think. So I came to help fix 'em." 

Castiel still stands in front of the entrance to his home, confused thoughts mingled with hopeful ones flying through his brain. "You don't have your toolbox, Dean."

"Huh? What - oh. Well, I can. I can just..." Dean's eyes are rapidly growing more panicked, an embarrassed blush rising all the way to the tips of his ears. He rubs the back of his neck, gesturing at nothing while trying to come up with words.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Cas?"

Dean's eyes are hopeful and wide, but still tinged with worry. Cas wants to wipe all of that worry away. 

He pulls Dean into the apartment by the front of his shirt, slamming the door shut with his other hand once the other man is inside. Castiel wastes no time in placing his lips over Dean's, mouths almost feverishly hot. Dean opens his lips immediately, hands moving to grip Castiel's hip and the front of his shirt. Dean moans -  _loud -_ when Cas licks into his mouth, sound muffled as Castiel explores the wet heat of the other man's mouth. He lets a hand wrap in Dean's messy hair, carding through the short strands and tugging when he wants to. _Glorious_ would be the word Castiel would choose to describe the feeling.

Dean pushes him back, the two men simply staring at each other for a moment while the try to catch their breath. Castiel notices how Dean's lips are red and slick-looking, hair messy and clothes slightly rumpled. He thinks about the fact that he hasn't even _tried_ to kiss Dean's neck yet, and that's a crime to all of society, so when Dean pushes him down onto the couch, the first thing he does is latch his mouth under Dean's jaw. There's a bit of stubble, and he can smell the fresh, soapy scent of whatever shampoo Dean uses. He nips at the skin, moving down in a trail, leaving mark after mark and bruise after bruise. The attention has Dean moving restlessly on top of his lap, the green-eyed man stretched out on Castiel's thighs. He rolls his hips when Cas sucks on his collarbone, and the movement has both men gasping.

"Bedroom?" Dean asks, pupils dark with lust. Castiel nods quickly, standing and leading him to his bedroom.

It's messy, but neither of them gives a shit. The bed is soft, they're both pulling off their clothes, and Castiel discovers that Dean  _loves_ being kissed all over his chest. When he moves lower, Dean sucks in a breath, letting out a soft _"fuck, Cas"._ Castiel also discovers that heloves the feeling of Dean's hands in his hair. 

 

***

 

The next morning, Castiel hears his phone beep on the bedside table. He reaches across the other sleeping form in his bed, Dean grumbling and holding onto Casitle's waist tighter. The message on the phone is from Charlie - a text.

_I know that your sink has made some weird noises over the past few months, but I doubt that it can make a continuous banging against the wall for an hour. I'm gonna assume that your headboard can, though._

Castiel blushes, opening up a new message to reply. 

_Thank you, Charlie._

He pauses before sending a second message, grinning softly as he types.

_I have discovered that Dean does, in fact, like me._

**Author's Note:**

> first time writing from Cas's pov instead of Dean's... how'd it turn out?  
> hope you liked it and thank you for reading!  
> feedback is appreciated~  
> (also, i'm torn between starting a BIG mafia!au or a theatre kids!au. leave your opinion in the comments, maybe?)


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